Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Hungary instead of South Korea, you would:

Health

live 5.8 years less

In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 83 years (80 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022. In Hungary, that number is 77 years (74 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2022.

be 5.6 times more likely to be obese

In South Korea, 4.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Hungary, that number is 26.4% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 16.0% less likely to live below the poverty line

In South Korea, 14.4% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Hungary, however, that number is 12.1% as of 2021.

pay a 60.5% lower top tax rate

South Korea has a top tax rate of 38.0% as of 2016. In Hungary, the top tax rate is 15.0% as of 2016.

make 22.4% less money

South Korea has a GDP per capita of $45,600 as of 2022, while in Hungary, the GDP per capita is $35,400 as of 2022.

be 26.2% more likely to be unemployed

In South Korea, 2.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Hungary, that number is 3.6% as of 2022.

Life

have 31.5% more children

In South Korea, there are approximately 6.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Hungary, there are 9.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 87.5% more likely to die during childbirth

In South Korea, approximately 8.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Hungary, 15.0 women do as of 2020.

be 61.0% more likely to die during infancy

In South Korea, approximately 2.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Hungary, on the other hand, 4.6 children do as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 13.1% less on healthcare

South Korea spends 8.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Hungary, that number is 7.3% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary, National Tax Service, South Korea.

Hungary: At a glance

Hungary is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 89,608 sq km. Hungary became a Christian kingdom in A.D. 1000 and for many centuries served as a bulwark against Ottoman Turkish expansion in Europe. The kingdom eventually became part of the polyglot Austro-Hungarian Empire, which collapsed during World War I. The country fell under communist rule following World War II. In 1956, a revolt and an announced withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact were met with a massive military intervention by Moscow. Under the leadership of Janos KADAR in 1968, Hungary began liberalizing its economy, introducing so-called "Goulash Communism." Hungary held its first multiparty elections in 1990 and initiated a free market economy. It joined NATO in 1999 and the EU five years later. In 2011, Hungary assumed the six-month rotating presidency of the EU for the first time.
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How big is Hungary compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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